Ray Wilkins, Former England Footballer, Convicted Of Drink-Driving

PA

Former England footballer Ray Wilkins has been convicted of drink-driving as it emerged he was banned from the road earlier this year after he was found intoxicated and "slumped" over his steering wheel.

Wilkins, 56, was disqualified for two years in March and fined £2,000 after a breath test showed he was nearly four times the legal limit.

Wilkins was already banned from driving eafrlier this year for drink-driving

The details of that offence were disclosed as he was handed a 12-month community order, instructed to pay £4,000 in costs and stripped of his driving licence for three years on Wednesday.

Wilkins, 56, was so drunk he was forced to lean on his Jaguar XJ because he was unable to stand up when he was pulled over close to his home last May.

The slurring Sky Sports pundit was taken into custody where he struggled to give a sample of his breath and branded police procedures a "f****** joke".

Wilkins claimed he only drank two glasses of red wine before getting behind the wheel and suggested the results of his breath tests - which showed he was three times the limit - were unreliable but his defence was rejected.

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The former Chelsea player, dressed in a three-piece navy blue suit, stared straight ahead as District Judge Timothy Workman handed down his sentence at North Surrey Magistrates' Court, in Staines-upon-Thames.

Wilkins was arrested on 7 May last year after an officer on patrol spotted his car weaving down a road in Cobham, Surrey at 1.45am.

"There was a strong smell of intoxicating liquor in the vehicle and around him," Pc Nicholas Skidmore said.

"When he got out of the vehicle, he couldn't stand up properly. He had to lean against the car."

A roadside breath test revealed he had 109 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - more than three times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

Wilkins, who notched up 84 caps for England during his playing days, was handcuffed and placed in the back of Pc Skidmore's car where he "passed out" as he was driven to a local police station.

The player went on to launch an expletive-laden outburst in custody after officers said he could not make a call to his wife until he supplied two more breath samples.

"F****** hell, I can't even phone my missus. This is a f****** joke," he was heard to say in CCTV footage played to the court.

"I'm not going to bash up anybody... this is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous."

Tests at the station revealed Wilkins had 104 and 102 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The pundit, who was stopped as he returned from an awards ceremony in Bournemouth, claimed the results of the tests were unreliable and insisted he had been "fine" to drive.

But the judge rejected his claims.

"In light of the evidence of his driving, smelling of intoxicating liquor, his unsteadiness of his feet and the handheld device reading of 109, I'm unable to accept his evidence about the amount of alcohol he consumed," he said.

"Having considered all the evidence including the circumstances of his arrest, the roadside breath test and the procedures at Reigate police station, I find the (breathalyser) was working correctly at the time Mr Wilkins provided the sample and I'm satisfied so that I'm sure the defendant was driving having consumed alcohol above the proscribed limit."

The conviction comes after Wilkins was found guilty of failing to give a breath specimen.

Paul Lund, prosecuting, told the court the pundit was discovered propped up against his steering wheel in Tongham, Surrey, on 7 March.

On that occasion, he gave a sample of his breath on the roadside but refused a further test.

"He was found slumped over the steering wheel of his car," Mr Lund said.

"The roadside specimen was 129 but he failed to provide that at the police station.

"That was all after these events."

Wilkins was convicted and sentenced at Guildford Magistrates' Court on 21 March.

As part of this latest sentence he must carry out 120 hours of unpaid work. His disqualification can be reduced by 36 weeks if he completes a driver rehabilitation course, the judge said.

The penalty was handed down after Wilkins' barrister told the court that undisclosed "extenuating circumstances" should be taken into account.

Phillip Lucas, defending, said Wilkins did not wish for these details to be revealed but said they "may explain" the two offences.

Wilkins declined to comment as he left court.

During his career, the former footballer played at various clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, AC Milan and Queens Park Rangers and was awarded an MBE in 1993 for services to football.